At a White House event, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that Bollinger Shipyards, in partnership with Rauma Marine Constructions (Rauma), Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan), and Aker Arctic Technology Inc. (Aker Arctic), has been selected to design and construct six Arctic Security Cutters (ASC) for the U.S. Coast Guard, Seaspan said in a statement.
The team will use the Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) design developed by Seaspan and Aker Arctic for operations in extreme polar environments.
Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, said the award reflects “President Trump’s leadership and his historic investment in America’s maritime industrial base.” He added that construction on the vessels would begin immediately. According to Bordelon, the Arctic Security Cutter will “enable the United States to rapidly project American power, enforce our sovereignty, and reassert American dominance in the Arctic.”
The project involves the construction of six advanced icebreakers. The first three will be built simultaneously by Rauma in Finland and Bollinger in the United States, while the remaining three will be produced domestically. Delivery of the initial vessels is expected within 36 months of contract award.
Rauma Marine Constructions CEO Mika Nieminen said the company is ready to deliver the Arctic Security Cutters “on an accelerated timeline in close cooperation with our U.S. partner and allied industry.” He stated that Rauma’s ice-class experience and production capacity would support rapid delivery.
The program follows calls from President Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to rebuild U.S. polar capability and strengthen the domestic industrial base. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise described the initiative as “a great win for our state” and said Bollinger Shipyards is “the only shipbuilder in the United States” capable of immediate construction of these vessels.
The Seaspan-Aker MPI design has already completed extensive engineering and testing, enabling production to begin without delay.
Seaspan CEO John McCarthy said the project “demonstrates Seaspan’s world-class marine engineering and design capabilities” and enhances North America’s ability to build Arctic vessels.
Aker Arctic CEO Mika Hovilainen called the ASC program “a milestone for allied Arctic collaboration.” The initiative operates under the ICE Pact trilateral framework between the United States, Canada, and Finland. Parallel construction at Rauma and Bollinger is intended to speed early deliveries and establish a foundation for full U.S. production. Bollinger will lead long-term sustainment and domestic construction.
Each Arctic Security Cutter will be able to break four feet of ice, travel 12,000 nautical miles, and operate for over 60 days. The vessels will support missions including national defense, scientific research, and search and rescue in polar regions.
Their shared design with the Canadian Coast Guard fleet will create the largest class of icebreaking capability in the world.
In addition, Canada’s Davie Shipyards will contribute to the program by building a separate class of Multi-Purpose Polar Support Ships.
Bollinger Shipyards is a privately owned U.S. shipbuilding company headquartered in Lockport, Louisiana. It operates multiple facilities along the Gulf Coast and specializes in the design, construction, and repair of vessels for defense, commercial, and energy markets.
Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) is a Finnish limited company based in Rauma, Finland. It focuses on the design and construction of naval and ice-capable vessels, operating one of Finland’s key shipyards for government and commercial clients.
Seaspan Shipyards is part of the Seaspan ULC group, a Canadian corporation providing shipbuilding and marine services. It is a major partner in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy and operates shipyards in North Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
Aker Arctic Technology Inc. is a Finnish engineering company specializing in icebreaker and icegoing vessel design and testing. It operates an ice model testing facility in Helsinki and provides design and consultancy services to shipyards and governments worldwide.
Davie Shipyards (Chantier Davie Canada Inc.) is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Lévis, Quebec. It builds and refits vessels for both military and commercial purposes and is part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy as a partner for the government fleet renewal program.
